Manufacture of hosiery



July 12, 1927. 1,635,713

E. A. H IRNER MANUFACTURE OF HOSIERY Original Filed Junezz. 1921 'VWYNESSE'S:

' INVENTOR:

. Q I 12601211 E128.

tively Patented July 12, 1927. j

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL A. HIBNER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF HOSIERY.

Application filed June 22, 1921, Serial No. 479,603; Renewed January 12, 1925.

My invention relates generally to the manufacture of hosiery, and more especially to a novel process of manufacturing seamless hosiery, and also to the product made in accordance therewith.

In the manufacture of seamless hosiery as ordinarily practiced, the heel of the stocking is knit by narrowing and widening upon a limited number of fashioning needles which results in the production of a pocket having, at each side, the diagonal sutures characteristic of such hosiery. The contour of the pocket producedunder this method is at best but an approximation, and not only lacks the necessary fullness, but falls far short of conforming accurately to the human heel. Moreover, dilficulty has been experi enced in preventing unsightly puckering of the heel pocket even after pressing, this being due to crowding of the fabric loops at opposite sides of the diagonal sutures in endeavoring with respect to the stretched loops which fall within the rounded portion of the heel beyond the outer ends of said sutures.

The urpose of my invention is to overcome t e various objections, above pointed out, by enabling production of not only a rounder and fuller heel than heretofore possible with methods commonly in use, but one devoid of fashioning sutures within its area; so that the fabric loops constituting the same are absolutely free from tension or restraint and as elastic as in any other portion of the stocking.

Other objects and attendant'advantages of my invention will become apparent from the.

detailed description which follows: I

The figure of the drawing represents, more or less. diagrammatically, a stocking conveniently embodying my invention. Although illustrated as applied to half hose, my ,invention is equally applicable to seamless long hose or even to c ildrens stockings as will be obvious from subsequent disclosure.

In carrying out my invention, the leg portionof the stocking indicated at 1 is knit in the usual manner by round and round knitting upon a. circular knitting machine. Upon reaching the course represented by the line 2r3-4'-5, rotation of the machine is suspended, and formation of the heel pocket begun by a fastening operation upon a limited series of needles. At this juncture, instead of producing the heel pocket by nar- I rowing and widening as is generally custo adjust themselves compensa-' tomary; I make a radical departure from the usual practice by beginning conversely, i.-e., by widening, and form the heel in its entirety as a widening web. The method of procedure is as follows:

As an illustrative example let it be assumed, that the stocking herein shown is knit on a cylinder of two hundred and twenty-eight needles.- Of these, I employ half or one hundred and fourteen units as instep needles, which, during the formation of the heel, are rendered inactive to hold the loops of the fabric along the line 2-3 and also the corresponding loops on the other side of the stocking. The remaining needles, with the exception of about twenty at the very centre of this series, I employ as fashioning needles, the latter being thus divided into two groups of forty-seven each. At the beginning of the oscillation of the machine, the fashioning needles are as a body, rendered inactive, and, as the knitting proceeds, are added alternately, one at a time, to opposite ends of the subdivision of twenty needles above referred to until the full complement is restored to activity. In this way, I produce the entire heel, or, in other words, the pocketed web endin at the line 3-6. The sutures 3- l inci entally formed through this operation, it will be observed, instead of extending diagonally of the heel, in a manner common to seamless hosiery as ordinarily manufactured, are coincident with what may be conveniently termed the longitudinal median lines at opposite sides of the stocking" foot, or in other words liein the line of juncture between the heel and ankle, and, as a result, round upwardly at their outer ends into the ankle of the stockin as shown. At the conclusion of the wi ening o eration just described, the loops of the fa ric are held by the needles substantially along the line 2-3-6, and thereupon, theneedle cylinder is again rotated and the foot 10 otherwise completed in the usual manner.

A stocking made in accordance with the above is entirely devoid of any puckering at the heel, and moreover by reason of the fullness of the heel pocket and the characteristic disposal of the fashioning sutures peculiar to my invention, said heel is rendered just as elastic as any other portion of the stocking thus insuring perfect fit'and comfort to the wearer; A further distinctive characteristic may be noted in that as a consequence of my iin roved method of knitting, the Wales of t e heel are directly continuous with those of the stocking sole with the advante e that the foot is more elastic lengthwise than in in the ordinary way.

It is to be understood that the numerical proportions herein suggested, by way of example, inconnection with the subdivision of the knitting needles are subject to indefinite variation in practice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In the manufacture ol'" seamless hosiery, the process oi producing the heel pocket which consists in knitting on it limited series of needles less then one-ballot the lull cornpleinent, gradually Widening until one-hell of the needles are in use, end then immediately beginning the foot portion by circular knitting on the full complement of needles.

2. In it seernless stocking, nheel pocket comprising n substantially triunler weh having its open merged into the leg portion and its louse coinciding with the first circular course oil the loot portion.

3. In the nienutecture of seemless hosiery, the process of producin the heel pochet hy commencing oscillatory inittin with n limited series of mean, grndunll incrensing the letitucle 0t snid oscillatory knitting until onelmlif the needles are in use, and immediately therentter commencing the foot portion hy circuler knitting; with the full complement oil" needles;

i. In the inenufecture of seamless hosiery, the process of producing the heel pocltet loy stockings manufactured mowers commencing oscilletory'knitting on approxiinetely one-eleventh part numerically of the entire series of needles, radually increasing the latitude of said oscil atory knitting until one-half the needles are in use, and immedintely thereafter commencin the foot por tion by circular knitting wit the full series of needles.

5. 1n the manufacture of the method of pocket in its entirety by widening only in continuation from the leg portion to a region edjoinin the instep,

6. In t 1e manufacture of seamless hosiery, the method of producing a complete integral heel pocket hy widening only with resultant formation of sutures at the juncture of the heel with the leg portion of the stocking.

'l. A seamless stocking characterized by n widened heel pocket having the fashioning sutures without its erezn h. A seamless stocking having a, heel pocket formed by widening" only characterized by lnehioning; sutures coincident with the longitndine-l median lines at opposite sides of sold stocking or juncture between the heel and leg portion.

9. A seamless heel pocket seamless hosiery,

stocking having it fashioned termed hy widening only cherecterized by sutures at opposite sides thereof lying in the line of juncture between the heel and the anlrle.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name nt Philadelphia, Pennsylvnnie, this lith cluy of June, 1921.

Ell 11L it. HIRNER.

producing an integral heel 

